Don't Resist the Water
by Amaylee
Summary: Haru and Makoto are invited to spend their first year of high school at Ouran Academy. You can probably guess who they meet, and Haru has an increasing fascination with a certain host who shares a similar name...


It was quite a significant commute for Haruka and Makoto to get into the city to attend the academy they had been so generously invited to join. Well, Haruka had been invited, granted a scholarship because of his unrivalled talent for swimming, but he had refused unless Makoto could join him. It took some bartering between the Principal of both Iwatobi high, which they had already been enrolled in for two weeks now, and the Chairman of Ouran Academy, but it was eventually agreed that both teens could come to the prestigious school. However, this was on the condition that they not only compete for the school's swim team for the year, but also lend a "helping hand", as Mr. Suoh had described it, around the pools.

Makoto jogged lightly up the stairs to Haru's house. After knocking twice, he let himself in and headed for the bathroom. Of course, his best friend was submerged in a cold bath. The wrinkling of his skin showed he'd probably been there since dawn.

"Come on, Haru-chan, we have to go. We're going to miss our train," Makoto told him sternly.

Haru made a disgruntled noise but did as he was told, stepping out of the tub. Makoto always found it funny that he wore a swim suit in the bath.

"Drop the chan," he said in his usual monotone, before slipping an apron over his head.

"Are you serious right now? We don't have time for you to have breakfast. You should have thought of that before you spent all morning in the bath."

"But I haven't eaten."

"Fine. At least let me cook it while you get dressed. You did iron the new uniform, right?"

Haruka nodded and headed to the bedroom, returning in a blue blazer identical to Makoto's.

Makoto made Haruka eat as they headed to the station. He was right to insist as they ended up sprinting when they saw it pulling in. It was still very early so they had plenty of seats to choose from. Makoto smiled as they finally approached the neighbourhood. He could just make out the large dome shape he'd seen on the school's website. That was the sport's centre. Why Haru would reject a scholarship to this place was beyond Makoto. The place had three pools, for crying out loud.

Although he had been flattered by Haru's insistence that Makoto was also deserving of a place here, he couldn't help but wonder if he only said that because he didn't want to go alone. Let alone compete with a new team by himself. Makoto didn't know why Haruka had quit swimming competitively in middle school, but it had been a real shock. He could only assume it was the promise of that indoor, Olympic sized pool that made Haru agree to take up the sport for more than pleasure again.

The high school building was very... very pink, the pair noted as they viewed it from the school gates. They found their way to their classroom but were largely ignored by the other students. Apparently the novelty of scholarship students wasn't quite what Makoto had assumed it would be. Haru took an empty seat by the window and Makoto sat behind him. From where they sat, he could just see the blue corner of what had to be a pond or a fountain of some sort in the courtyard. Judging by Haru's twitch, he saw it as well.

Makoto was certainly _not_ going to allow Haru to strip out of his clothes in the courtyard on their first day of school. When lunch break rolled around, he instantly grabbed Haru's wrist as he scrambled out of his seat far too quickly.

"No," Makoto scolded.

Haru frowned but followed Makoto to the canteen. He immediately regretted this when he saw they didn't serve mackerel. He'd have to start bringing a bento. After taking in the prices, so would Makoto.

After school, they headed to the office of Yuzuru Suoh, the chairman, to be given their assigned duties. The first task was to apparently form a swim club in the first place. Others included acting as lifeguards and instructors in the recreational pool, and helping to keep the facilities maintained and clean.

Rich people were apparently not that fond of swimming.

"I'm terribly sorry to have to ask you to leave, but I have an important phone call to take. I would have given you a tour of the aquatic facilities myself, but if you head to music room three and ask for Suoh Tamaki, he'd be glad to do the honours in my place," the chairman told them.

As they rounded the corner on the way to the music room, Haru caught sight of a large bucket being dragged into the room by a pair of red headed twins. He immediately recognised the sound of sloshing water and took off down the hallway.

Makoto was on his heels in an instant but due to collecting Haru's shed clothing as he chased him, he couldn't catch up in time to stop Haru flinging himself in the bucket, just inside the doorway of the room. Makoto glanced at the sign above the door... well, at least they'd found the right place.

"Haru!" he shouted, slipping inside the door still swinging from when Haruka had run past. "I'm really, really sorry about him."

He glared at his friend, who was squashed with his knees to his chest with only his eyes and nose above the water. A large melon sat in his lap. Looking around the room, the other occupants could do nothing but stare. A back haired boy with glasses cleared his throat.

"By any chance, are you Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase?" the boy asked.

"Uh... yes, we are. How did you know?" Makoto answered.

"I heard we were gaining two new students here on swimming scholarships," he gestured to Haru, "it doesn't take much to put two and two together."

Makoto gave a slight laugh, "Yeah... I'm still really sorry about this. Haru, get out!"

Haruka hugged the melon and scowled.

A small boy with dark brown hair handed Makoto a towel when he'd finally hauled Haruka out of the bucket and forcefully tied it around his waist.

"He had a swim suit on under his uniform?" one of the twins asked.

"I'll be honest and say I'm not entirely sure he owns underwear..." Makoto replied. "Actually, we were sent here by the Chairman. He said a boy named Tamaki Suoh could give us a tour of the aquatic centre."

"Oh did he now?" a tall blonde span in front of Makoto and Haruka.

"That would be you?"

"Indeed I am!"

Other introductions were made and Haruka finally spoke, though it was only a muttered "hello".

"We can all take you down to the pools but we don't have much time left before our own club activities start," Kyoya told them, and they headed off.

"Really, Haru?! Again?!" Makoto exclaimed as once again Haru's clothes were sent flying and he threw himself into the pool. "Well... I suppose it's alright this time."

He dutifully began collecting the strewn garments and was handed his trousers by Haruhi, the small boy who had given him the towel earlier. Together they folded the clothes and set them aside.

"This place is pretty deserted," Makoto said, staring around the largest school stadium pool he'd ever seen. There was even seating, indicating competitions were also held here.

"The leisure pool gets used more frequently," Kyoya told them.

"Our other school didn't have a swim club either... the pool wasn't even functioning."

"Did you swim in middle school?" Hani, the small blonde asked.

"We swam, but Haru quit the swim team halfway through our first year. I'm surprised he took up the offer to come here... he's never been one to swim competitively."

"But he's so good at it," Tamaki mused.

They all looked out as Haruka swam length after length. Eventually, he rolled onto his back and just floated aimlessly.

"I guess that's our cue to leave," Kyoya declared, standing up in a manner that made the other hosts follow suit.

"Maybe some of you would be interested in joining the swim team?" Makoto asked, though he wasn't serious and they knew it.

As they left, Haruhi mumbled to Tamaki, "You know... seeing him makes me want to go swimming."

He gave her a gleaming smile. "We can arrange that."

She shook her head, regretting voicing her fleeting thoughts.

xxxxxxx

So, here's my little attempt. I hope it appeals to at least a few people, because it's not proving itself to be as easy to write as I had imagined.

Love, Amelie.


End file.
